Lawyers for Mayor Adams and a top Trump Department of Justice attorney denied any “quid pro quo” in the deal to drop the sweeping corruption case against Adams at a court hearing Wednesday — with the government arguing that even if there were, the case should still be dismissed.
Facing a grilling from Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Emil Bove, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney, told the court, “Even if there was a quid pro quo, there wouldn’t be a problem with this motion.”
The comment came toward the end of the 90-minute hearing and ended with Ho reserving his decision on whether to grant the government’s controversial motion to dismiss the historic prosecution.
“It’s not in anyone’s interest here for this to drag on,” Ho said. “But to exercise my discretion properly, I’m not gonna shoot from the hip right here on the bench.
The agreement — and Adams — have come under sharp attack over the DOJ’s claim the case needed to be dismissed so the mayor could better aid Trump in carrying out his hardline immigration effort. Four deputy mayors resigned this week over the issue and Gov. Hochul is weighing the possibility of removing Adams from office.
During the hearing, Ho questioned the mayor under oath, asking him if he understood the case against him being dismissed without prejudice meant it could be brought again. That aspect of the agreement has sparked criticism Adams is effectively beholden to the Trump administration.
“I have not committed a crime. I don’t see them bringing it back. I’m not afraid of that,” the mayor said, adding he understood his rights.
Adams said he had not read the documents spelling out the terms of his dismissal before consenting to them. “No, your honor, it was explained to me,” he said.
Adams said no one had induced him to accept the terms of the agreement with the DOJ, which resulted in the Friday motion to Ho that followed the resignations of several veteran prosecutors who refused to file it.
He said “not at all” when asked if anyone had promised him anything.
On Tuesday, Ho ordered the parties to appear in court to explain the reasons for the motion, the effect of granting it, and Adams’s consent. He has come under pressure from former U.S. attorneys and good government groups to probe the reasons for the dismissal, with some calling on him to appoint a special prosecutor.
Bove told the court the motion was brought due to “the appearance of impropriety,” citing Trump’s executive order about the “weaponization” of government, and said that the prosecution impacted national security, impeding the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement.
Bove said there may be people who disagree, but there was no legal basis to deny the request. He told Ho he should grant the motion promptly “so the mayor can get back to work unhindered, unburdened, not having to deal with this case, so he can focus on having to protect the city.”
Bove and Adams’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, scoffed at recent claims of a quid-pro-quo made by former interim Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon.
Before resigning, she wrote to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi alleging that the deal to dismiss the case stemmed from what amounted to a “quid pro quo” between the mayor and the Trump administration, one that would clear the charges against Adams in exchange for the mayor giving Trump free rein to carry out his hardline deportation agenda in the nation’s largest sanctuary city.
“And I’m happy to raise my hand right now,” Spiro said, meaning he would swear to it under oath.
Adams has pleaded not guilty in the case to bribery, soliciting illegal campaign donations from foreign nationals, wire fraud, and conspiracy, charges that each carry significant prison time on their own and up to 45 years collectively.
The case filed last September was born out of a wide-ranging investigation by the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, the FBI, and the city Department of Investigation that began several months before Adams was elected mayor.
It accuses him of abusing his positions in New York City government starting more than a decade ago during his days as Brooklyn borough president by accepting luxury benefits, including first-class flights and opulent hotel stays all over the world, from wealthy foreign businessmen and officials in or close to the authoritarian Turkish government looking to gain influence over him.
This story will be updated.
